Welcome Wagon
hostess finds
work rewarding

PACKING UP your life and
moving to a new city can
often be a frustrating and
lonesome experience,
especially when you don’t
know a soul in your new
town.

News Reporter

The people behind the com-
munity group Welcome Wagon
know that feeling only too well
and it is for that reason that they
have been going out of their way
to welcome new-comers into
communities across Canada.

Welcome Wagon has been in the
business of welcoming strangers
for the past 60 years and 1990
marks the Welcome Wagon Cana-
dian Diamond Jubilee.

Today there are more than 1,200
Welcome Wagon hostesses across
Canada. One of those is West
Vancouver substitute teacher Mar-
ny Peirson who has been welcom-
ing new-comers to West Vancouver
for the past 12-years.

“I was looking for something
other than teaching and I’ve
always had an interest in welcom-
ing people,” says Peirson. ‘I was
always the one to welcome people
to our block and ! had the visit
when I first came. I’m quite

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NEWS photo Mike Wakefield

GETTING THE welcome treatment is new West Vancouver resident Pam Offerman (left). She is receiving all
the information about the city she can use from Welcome Wagon hostess Marny Peirson. Welcome Wagon is
celebrating its 60th anniversary this year.

knowledgeable about the com-
munity.”’

Peirson, an 18-year resident of
West Vancouver, said most people
are always happy to get a visit
from Welcome Wagon and appre-
ciate the hospitality and informa-
tion they receive.

“The worst part (for Welcome
Wagon) is finding the new people.
Some have never heard of us be-
fore and a few people are

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suspicious...they can’t believe that
all the information is free,’’ says
Peirson. ‘‘The realtors should be
helping us — they know who the
new people are, but they never
return my phone calls.”

Among the items and informa-
tion Peirson hands out when she
goes to visit a new West Vancouver
resident are maps of the
municipality, information on bus
routes, police, libraries and enter-

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tainment. Welcome Wagon is
sponsored by local businesses.
Peirson also gives out informa-
tion about North Vancouver and
hands out a booklet on local gov-
ernment officials and community
events. She estimates that she does

PAGE 29

about 40 visits a month.

It's a lifestyle she enjoys.

**T like the hours, | can choose
my time. | think they (Welcome
Wagon) find it hard to find host-
esses and it's tough to find spon-
sors. Most people | visit are very
gracious, it's like going around
and having coffee with people,”’
says Peirson. ‘‘i also enjoy
mecting all of the different people.
I can tell them about recycling and
when the curbside and garbage
pickup days are.’’

While Welcome Wagon has
primarily been associated with
welcoming new people into com-
munities, it has expanded its role
to servicing bridal parties, baby
showers and putting on showcases
for semi-retired and retired people.

In addition, Welcome Wagon
hostesses also visit new mothers in
hospitals and at home and there is
also Campus Welcome for college
students who need help at registra-
tion time.

Ten years ago Welcome Wagon
Lid., became entirely Canadian-
owned. Since then its sales have
more than tripled. Even though
Welcome Wagon is a volunteer
commimity—service organization,
offering its services free of charge,
it is still a business. It charges local
businesses in return for having its
hostesses promote local businesses
to the people they visit.

However, the hostesses are not
allowed to sell anything and can-
not sell the names of people they
visit to any commercial mailing list
company or credit bureau.

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